Wrapper-gluing device



E. T. MCKAIG WRAPPER GLUING DEVICE Dec. 2l 1926.

Filed OvC'b. 13, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. 1'. MGKAIG WRAPPER GLUING DEVICE Filed oct. 1s,v 192s CII Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

illilITED SIATES 1,611,356 PATENT OFFICE.

EDDY T. MCKAIG, GF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ANTON TRINI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WRAPPER-GLUING DEVICE.

Application led OctoberlS, 19'23. Serial No. 668,327.

My invention relates to improvements in article wrapping machines and has special reference to improvements in machines for gluing the ends of folded wrappers on articles, such as soap bars and the like.

In the development of soap wrapping machines mechanisms have been produced for applying an adhesive, such as glue, to parts of the wrapper for securing it upon the bar of soap, but so far as I am aware these have not proven eminently satisfactory in operation nor durable in use. The glue has been largely wasted and the apparatus has been soon destroyed or worn badly, owing to the severe shocks to which it is subjected in use and the rapidity with which the soap bars pass through the machine.

In devising my present improvements I have had the object before me of providing an efficient apparatus for the purpose by which all of the glue will be applied and none wasted, only sufficient glue being applied to properly secure the wrappers, and in which apparatus the mechanical move-- ments, strokes or impacts, shall be reduced to a minimum to the end that the apparatus shall not require frequent repairing or rebuilding.

In other words, it is my object to provide a very simple and durable mechanism for applying glue to the wrappers, in partly folded condition and before the folded end portions are pressed home.

I have provided mechanism for depositing drops of glue upon the partly folded wrappers, including mechanically operated outlet valves, but the mechanism is so arranged that once the valve opening mechanism has been released for opening the valve, it will automatically complete the opening of the valve to the adjusted limit and will without stopping immediately close the valve, and this independently of any other function or Y operation of the machine or its parts with which the ciated.

The type of machine to which my invention is most closely related is provided with automatic mechanism which folds the wrapper around the article, such as a bar of soap, with the ends of the wrapper projecting at each end of the bar in the form of an openended rectangular tube. Thereafter these open end portions of the wrapper are folded in against the end ofthebar, usually first glue control mechanism is assothe top wall, then the side walls, thus producing a V-shaped flap which is folded in against the end of the bar and against the parts of the wrapper previously folded in. It has become more or less common practice to cement or glue these V-shaped iaps to retain them in folded position and prevent the inadvertent unwrapping of the bars.

My invention vwill be more readily under.- stood by reference to thev accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a soap bar wrapping machine equipped with a gluing device andconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of same;

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line il- 4 of Figures 2 and 3; and i Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure a, showing some of the parts in different positions.

In said drawings l represents generally a soap bar wrapping machine which is adapted to receive soap bars consecutively and Soap bar wrappers, and is provided with automatic means for wrapping the wrappers around the soap bars with the ends of the vwrappers projecting beyond each end of the bars, as illustrated `in Figure 6. The soap bars thus partly wrapped are deposited vconsecutively upon a :fiat table-like support and guide plate 2 just in front of a pair of pusher arms 3. But as such automatic wrapping mechanism forms no part of the present invention it is thought that itis not necessary to further illustrate it.

The partly wrapped soap bars are shown in dotted lines in position on the guide plate 2 at et and the tubular projecting ends of the wrapper are shown at 5. The wrapping machine with which my improvement' is illustrated is provided with means for first pressing or folding the top wall G of the end portions 5 of the wrapper downwardly and in against the ends of the soap bar. Such means comprise vertically movable thin plungers 7, one at each side of the machine, and carried on a transverse shaft 8, which is suitably held and guided for reciprocal up and down movement. TheA lower ends of the plungers 7 are thin and knife-like and fil@ are arranged to move up and down close to the ends of the soap bars as the bars are moved along the plate 2 by the pushers 3 The shaft El with the plungers 7 is moved up and down b v any s 1Aitahle means. such as the cam 9 on a shaft 10 which is adapted to be suitable operatively coimected with the pushers 3, so that while the 'pushers are forcing' the line of s ap bars forwardly the plungers T are raised out of the path of the wrappers. and while the pushers are moving' backward to the positions shown in full lines the plungers are brought down and fold or press 'the top walls 6 of the wrappers downwardly and in against the ends of the soap bare. linmediately thereafter the former or fohling arms 11 carried on a transverse soaft 12 are rotated forwardly, that is in the direction of the arrow on Figure 1j and they engage the rear walls 18 of the end portions of the wrappers and fold them in against the lower ends of the plungers 'i'. This occurs just before the plungers are lifted. rlhe forward walls 141 of the end portions of the wrappers are forced inwardly by a stationary former 15 at each side of the machine as the line of soap bars are moved forwardly through the machine by the pusher-s 3. lt is not thought necessary to illustrate the n'iechanical means by which the back and forth movement of the pushers 3 is (3o-ordinated and timed with the movements of the plungers 7 and folders 11, as s ch is vell known to those skilled in the art and forms no part of this present invention.

As the soap bars are pushed through the machine the folding of the top, rear and front walls of the ends of the wrappers are completed. described, and there is provided `@guides 16, one at each side: which are adapted to lift the sf-shaped end portions 17 of the v `apper as they appear after the top, rear and front alls are folded, as d ls ribed. and press this 'if-shaped flap into flat contact :ith the soap har7 thus completing' the folding operations.

These guides 1G entend outwardly from the ends of the bars. their rear ends 18 being low enough to receive the flaps 17 even if they are bent downwardly in the previous forn'iinfg operations and lift them to horizontal positions at the point 19. which is the second position of the bars after the position where the top walls 6 are formed down. lt should he understood that the movement of the soap :ars through the machine is intermittent, the line of hars standing still while the pushers Z3 are drawn back to permit the next bar to be dep sited in front of them on the guide plate EL The several bars shown in Figures 1 and i? are shown in these stationary positionsj and in one of these positions the V-shaped iiags 17 are at 19 where the former u de 16 is provided with a flat i Lhoriontal portion youd these points the former guides 16 are formed inwardly and up vvr-.rdly and are adapted as the soap bars move forwardly to swing the end flans 17 upwardly and inwardly against the ends of the bars, Heretofore such machines have been provided with smooth '.des ai' the ends of the soap bars beyond the former guides 1G and the V-shaped flaps would be pressed tightly against the other parts of the wrapper, but when freed from such smooth guides would tend to spring` down again. Also heretofore means have been provided for depositing glue upon the upper: surfaces of the V-shaped flaps at the points 19 but such glue depositing means have not provei satisfactory and furthermore the mere pressing` of the flaps against the ends of the bars by the lat pressure strips spoken of has not served to permanently secure the flaps in position, with the result that they would spring down and out as soon released from the machine, the glue being still moist.

lf y present invention is directed particularly to providing satisfactory, durable and economical glue depositingl mechanism.

For depositing the glue upon the flaps 17 at the positions 19, l. provide two elev lcd reservoirs 21 one at each. end arranged suhstantially above the two end flaps. ch reservoir is provided with a depending glue delivery tube 2Q tapered at its lower end '223 and provided in its lower end with a delivery opening 24. Each reservoir 21 is supported on the outer end 0f an arm or bracket which is clamped at its other end on a verlvl.) tical post 26 forming` part of the wrappiiug machine. rllhe bracket 2 is adjustable as to length and the post 2G is cjiflindrical and consequently the position of the delivery end of the tube Q2 can. be adjusted accurately to deliver glue upon the l-shaped flap near its apex or point .in position to best to fasten the flap in fol led condition. The reservoir supporte-d @inthe bracket by means of a tubular support Qi' i.' l with the e i end of the bracket and unich receives tube 22. rlhe lower end of the reservoir an external shoulder 28 which prevents the lowering' of the reservoir and delivery tube too far but permits the contact of the lower end of the tube with the 'deps'.

The rest v ir is movi. ble up and down in. time with the movements of the soap bars to i bars to move freely forv rd ift f posit of the gl e. The i ing` the reserv( comprise a hori/iontal mounted in the free enc tending arms 30; these arms' one a i of the machine being rigidly secured at rear ends on the upright po if'. over arm 31 is rigidly mounted at its upon the shaft 29 to swing .Ifl end is connected to the transverse shaft or bar 9 by a vertically disposed linlr 32. As the bar 8 is moved up and down the lever arm 3l is swung up and down and the shaft 29 is oscillated. The sha'lt 29 is operatively mounted in the forward ends ot' the rigid arms 30 and is held against endwise moven'ient in one direction by the outer ontL 33 ci the lever arm 3l and in the other direction by a set collar 34. For engagement with the two reservoirs 2l for lifting them, ltorlred lever arms are rigidly mounted on the shaft 29, one for each reservoir, the lorlred ends 36 extending beneath respective reservoirs and contacting'beneath shoulders 37 on the lower ends ot the reservoirs in position to liit the reservoirs when the rear end o'lI the lever arm 8l is raised. l'y the means just described the reservoirs with their delivery tubes 22 are lit-ted once tor each cycle trom a position where the lower ends ot the tubes rest upon the folded liaps to the upper positions shown in dotted lines.

Within the tube 22 is a valve rod 38 provided on its lower'on-d with a valve head 39 for closing` the delivery opening` 24. This valve rod entends up through the tube and its reservoir and also through a lever arm 40 on the top ol the reservoir. nEhe lever arm 40 is pivotally mounted on the forward edge ot the reservoir at 4l and its rear end 42 is tree to swing up. The valve rol 38 passes through a i'rce hole 43 in the lev r and is yielding-ly connected to the lever by means of a compression spring 44 on the rod beneath the lever and pressing at its lower end against a set collar 45. Above the lever the rod is threaded and is provided with a nut 4G lor adjusting` the amount olI lift oi" the valve and a jamb nut 47 tor retaining` the nut 46 in its adjusted position. 'lhe spring yieldingly retains the valve seated until the lever 40 rises into contact with the nut 4G. By adjusting the nut 46 on the valve rod the litt the valve and consequently the amount ot glue deposited each time can he adjusted to the exact requirement necessary lor proper operation.

Besides the bodily up and down movement with the reservoir the lever 40 has an independent movement for opening` the valve. The means for producing` this independent movement is best shown in Figures 4 and 5.

For effecting this independent movement of the lever 40 for `opening the delivenT valve, l provide mechanism mounted on the rear wall of each reservoir comprising in each instance a bell-crank lever 49 pivotally mounted at its heel on a pivot 50 projecting out 'from the reservoir, and on which the lever is :tree to swing in a vertical plane. @ne arm 5l ot the lever projects upward and the other arm 52 projects horizontally and transversely of the machine. The lever is hel-d at one limit of its movement, as shown in Figure 4, with the arm. 5l against a lixedstop 55 by a spring 54 which extends between a. projection 55, 'rigid with the lever, and a projection y56 rigid with the reservoir. On the lower side ot the arm 52 is provided a hardened plate 57 which has an end 58 eX- i" tending beyond the free end oi the ar?l rl'liis extending end is tor Contact with the lower end 59 ot a dog 60 which is pivoted at its upper end upon a horizontal pivot 6l carried on a` part rigid with the machine. As shown, this part comprises a bracket 62 rigidly mounted on a transverse bar 63 forming part of the frame of the machine. The lower end 59 of the dog 60 is held contact with the outer end oie the arm oil the bell crank 49 by a tension spring o4 extending between a projection 65 on the outer side o1E the base ol the dog and a projection G6 rigid with the bracket 62. it will now be understood that as the reservoir Vis lifted by the. forked lever, the bell crank lever is lifted with it, the toe o' the dog slides along` the outer end of the arm 52 until it strikes the projection 58 whenA the further lifting of the reservoir causes the upper arm 5l o1a the lever 49 to swing to the right, Figure 4. This action continues until the projection 58 is released from the 'the dog G0, which is effected by a projection 67 on the outer end of the arm 52 which contacts with the adjacent side of the dog 60 and rotates it to push its lower end oil of the projection 58, at which time the spring 54 automatically returns the bell crank to its original position with its arm 5l in Contact with the stop 53. l utilize this automatic return movement ot the bell crank to litt the valve. For this purpose I provide a pivotally mounted dog 68 on the free end of the arm 5l, having an upwardly extending projection 69 beveled on its outer end 70 for a purpose to be explained. The dog G8 is mounted von a pivot 71 and is held in position by a tension spring 72 which extends between a projection 73 on the hub of the dog and a fixed projection 74 on the bell crank lever 49. The base ot the dog is provided with a projection 75 which is held against a shoulder on the outer end of the arm 51 and Vis free to turn to the left, Figure 4, against the pull o1!" the spring 72. The outer or free end of the lever 40 on the top of the reservoir is provided with a projection 76 which extends over the 'dog and which lies in the path of the projection 69 on the dog as the lever 49l is swung on its pivot. The projection 76 has a beveled under surface 77 which corresponds with the beveled'upper surface 70 on the outer end ot' the projecjection 69 on the dog 68. As shown in Figure 4, the two projections 68 and 76 overlap vertically when the arm 5l is against the stop 53 and consequently when the arm 5l swung over to the right the (ill dog 68 will rotate rearwardly on its pivot until the tip of the projection 68 slips past beneath. the lower edge ot the projection 76 at which time th-e spring T2 returns the dog 68 to its normal position and ready to cause the two inclined surfaces of the dog G8 and the lever 40 to Contact when the bell crank is released from the dog and is returned to its position of rest by the spring 54A. Then this occurs the dog` 68 serves to litt the lever l0 to the extent of the vertical overlapping of the two beveled surfaces and in such lifting oit the lever the valve rod 22 is lii'ted to the prearranged` amount and a predetermined quantity of glue flows out through the delivery opening let. 'This drop remains on the end ot the delivery tube until it descends into contact with the tiap and is deposited on the flap.

It will now be clear that the valve is opened near the upper limit of movement of the reservoir and when the delivery tube is free of the tlap, also that the opening and closing ot the valve is entirely automatic, that the valve is not opened by any positively Connected member and that no action of the machine or its mechanism can prevent the immediate closing of the valve after it has been opened. By lthis means sulicient lglue is deposited for each passing flap and ythe accidental leaking or waste of `glue, due to the valves remainingvopen, as in the forms heretofore used, is prevented. rlhis result is due to the fact that no mechanical or other control is retained of the valve opening lever once it is released, but it acts to open the valve the predetermined amount and then it automatically releases the valve and allows it to be closed by the valve spring` ll..

ritter the glue has been deposited upon the ends, as has been described, the iiaps are bent or 'formed up against the ends ol the bars by the upper parts 78 of the forming guides 16 which are shaped to produce this result as the soap bars are pushed on through the machine.

The horizontal guide table or plate 2 eX- tends through the machine beyond the forward ends oit the guides 1,6 and the soap bars as they leave said guides are moved progressively along the delivery end of said uide plate 9'. Upon this delivery end o t ie :a n n guile plate 2 l provide means for causing the end flaps to be formed in against the previously folded end flaps. rlhi means s vonsists of two lines oi rollers 'i9 rotatably mounted on vertical pins or trunnions 80. rthe row ol pins at each side ar i' e .igidly secured in a horizont-al plate 8l, which in turn is mounted on one leg 82 ot an angle n1ember, the other leg 83 standing ugii t. vieldingly holding the line ot rollers against the row of soap bars passing through the machine, l provide a second angle ineinl 84 beyond each line oi rollers secured r' "f upon the bed plate 2 and havingopen its upper leg 85 for receiving pins 8() projeeting out from 'the inner angle members. Between the two angle members arrange 70 springs 87 ou the pins by wl' line o li rollers is yieldingly pushed ini the row olil soap bars, an l able nuts 88 on the to limit the inward of rollers.

The plates 8l extend tow i other, their inner edges being sepa y a nar row cracl; 8S), and they torni the table or guide along which the soap bars are moved S0 during` the operation upon the bars by the rollers 82.

l claim:

l. ln a glue feed controlling mechanism 'tor a wrapping machine or the likel` a glue S5 reservoir, a delivery tube dependent thoretrOm, a valve normally closii the lower end of the tube, and valve operating means having` a part arapted to be engaged and moved a predetermined distance ant" then 9U released, spring` means operable to return said part to its tiret position as released, and mea-ns operable by said part on its return movement to open and close said valve.

2. ln a mechanism ol: the kind described, '-l an elevated reservoir Afor suitable glue, a tube tor directing the glue to the point et application, av valve for controlling` the outflow of glue, means tor alternately lowering and liftingthe tube to depos't the glue and to 00 permit a glued flap to pass on, mechar:A rn tor opening and closing` the valve, ano ger means for releasin@` the valve opera means, the valve operating means being ai ranged to automatically complete a cycle oit A05 openingl and closing the valve each time it is released.

3. In a` mechanism ot' the rind described, a conduit supplied w i gine, a valve Jfor controlling the outilow ot glue, tension means for normally holding the valve closed, av leverl for opening the valve against said tension means, a swinn g lever for l'tting the valve opening` lei r, tension means for moving the swiiuring leve means tor automatically releasing the swinging lever, said swinging lever when i ed beingv adapted to liit the lifting lei inunediately isc-- lease it tor clos:l

Signed at Chicago, illinois, this 9th daf; 3.520 of Uctober, 1923.

BDD"- T. 'ille/Kill( ri. 

